Menopause, naturally

'There is no one-size-fits-all alternative program for menopause,' an expert says, but options are available

Sep. 17, 2012

Written by

ANNE MARIE CUMMINGS

Dr. Ann Louise’s ‘hot time’ boosters

There are supplements that can help treat common menopausal symptoms. Two of Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman’s favorites are flaxseeds and black currant seed oil. But remember, start little by little.“So many women are dealing with hormone havoc,” she says “so by taking one supplement at a time you’ll know what your system is responding to.”

FLAXSEEDS: Gittleman recommends two to three tablespoons of ground flaxseeds a day. Mix them in your muffin batter, blend in a smoothie or add to steamed vegetables. These hormone modulators with anti-cancer properties are a fibrous compound that not only combats excess estrogen but balances the amount of estrogen necessary in the system for good health. BLACK CURRANT SEED OIL: Derived from the seeds of black currants, this oil contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. The doctor likes gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) components of this daily supplement which acts as a natural estrogen and is sure to offer relief from hormone-related symptoms given their anti-inflammatory benefits.

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Did you know that your mother and her mother, and so on down the line, probably dealt with menopause the not-so-good old-fashioned way – by taking synthetic hormones, that is, estrogen derived from horse urine? Synthetic hormones can be uncomfortably foreign to a woman’s body, which is why so many women today are looking for natural ways to ease menopausal symptoms and restore hormonal balance.

Says Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman, renowned nutritionist and author of “Hot Times: How to Eat Well, Live Healthy, Feel Sexy During the Change,” “There is no one-size-fits-all alternative program for menopause. Even if the hormones you’re taking are natural, you still have to be tested and monitored regularly. The key is figuring out what works for you.”

NATURAL HORMONES

Across the globe, laboratories make natural hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone derived from the plants of yams and soybeans. These natural hormones are known to make women feel younger, sexier, even more energetic. Stewart Pharmacy, a compounding pharmacy in Tallahassee, purchases their natural hormones from a US wholesaler called Professional Compounding Centers of America.

Danny Jackson, owner and pharmacist at Stewart Pharmacy, says, “Laboratories convert these plant compounds into chemical molecules identical to those made in the human body and send them to us as bulk powders.” What makes compounding pharmacies unique is that they prepare individualized prescriptions for women in the forms of tablets, creams, drops, gels and troches (gelatin squares).Elizabeth Markovich, a certified nurse practitioner at Tallahassee’s Integrative Healthcare, works with Stewart Pharmacy and prescribes natural hormones to her patients.“It’s expected for women to experience hormonal changes,” she says, “Some women tough it out, but others have so many menopausal symptoms that they need hormone replacement therapy.”

THE SALIVA TEST

The best way to know if your symptoms are related to a hormone imbalance is to take the saliva test. According to Dr. David Zava, founder and CEO of ZRT Laboratory, in Beaverton, Ore., “Saliva testing is the best way to measure estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and cortisol levels because the hormones present in saliva are thought to be the level of hormones that leaves the bloodstream and enters tissues.”To take the saliva test, your primary care physician or gynecologist will give you a take-home kit. Before eating in the morning, you will spit into a tube. Then you will send the tube to the specified lab for testing. Finally, you will receive a call from your physician providing test results and a prescription. If you are taking hormones at the time of testing, Zava recommends that you not take them 12 to 24 hours prior to testing, and in order to continue monitoring your hormone levels, he suggests a second test three to six months following your first.

SIDE EFFECTS

According to Jackson, the misconception about taking natural hormones is that they’re safe.“Any hormone, even the hormones our own bodies create, can be linked to cancer,” he said, adding that if you have cancer, or a history of cancer in your family, you aren’t a candidate for natural hormone replacement therapy.Zava says when women’s bodies are outside a reasonable physiological range – when the body isn’t making enough, or is making too little, estrogen, progesterone or testosterone – the aging process is accelerated.“We know what the levels need to be and what we are trying to achieve is bringing them back to the premenopausal level where they’re healthy,” says Zava.